Quantum synchronization and dressing
The researchers discovered that these photonic interactions between the atoms cause them to synchronize their timekeeping despite the gravitational effects.
“It’s similar to how pendulum clocks hanging on the same wall eventually swing in unison. But in our case, it’s atoms exchanging quantum information while experiencing different rates of time due to gravity,” said co-author Jun Ye in the press release.
Further, this synchronization induces quantum entanglement between the atoms. Termed by Einstein as “spooky action at a distance,” quantum entanglement causes two particles to become correlated, despite the distance between them.